Is it a Crime?

The Summer air whistled with the Sade song from the car radio’’ My love is Wider than Victoria Lake, Taller than the Empire State, it dives, jumps from the deepest Ocean’’ Is it a Crime? The family was taking their Sunday drive from the Church back to their house in Port-au-Prince Haiti. The Sugar cane fields seemed to sparkle against the Sunlit Ocean seen from distance. The daughter & son were sitting in the back seat with mother & father in front. They were all dressed in their white Sunday best cottons with straightened expressions that replaced their gayety ever since the oppression of the Coup. Not knowing what to expect in a Island Country with a small Government that felt like a high tide with unexpected violent floods rushing over the people. Off in the fields the car drove past field workers who gleamed up at them as they drove by. One field worker’s eyes stared right at them as they shon like white diamonds. Mother Father look! Doesn’t that man look like Uncle Abe? Father stopped the car idling it a few yards from them. The crew of workers were silent while holding fixated expressions that lacked the usual rhythm of machetes that song’s & dances were mocked from. It does look like Uncle Abe, Hazel has been worried sick about him ever since he went missing. Mother recalled looking at the sunken face of who could be her missing brother in law. That’s not Abe! He doesn’t dress in rags like that or know how to cut down sugar! Father reassured it was not his brother. Well I’m going to have a look closer to find out. Mother got out of the jalopy in her long skirt plunging through the field. As she approach the tattered looking men who resembled scarecrows they all became alarmed & lit torches to fend off outsiders. Father look! Fire! The son cried out as the field was alive with fire energy. Come back here Elisa! Father yelled from the car as he honked his horn. Mother Elisa’s dress swirled through the burning smoke as she ran back to the automobile. Her eyes were as big as saucers as she had recognized Abe’s wedding ring that had been welded by her father who had been a welder in the shipyard. It’s Abe! I swear it! We can’t get him now! Their defending him with those torches! Father breathing had became irregular as Mother Elisa’s heart raced from her run. Father floored the car leaving smoke & fumes behind. Why do they carry torches anyway? Elisa asked as they traveled back home. They sometimes burn the sugar as a faster way to harvest, although the sugar tastes a bit different. Father explained while loosening his shirt. Well I saw his Wedding ring, with the Abalone & Diamonds! If your right, then what can we do? He’s obviously been placed their by unknown forces! We can go to the police! We can report it! The car was parked in the grass as the house had not a cemented driveway. I guess your right Elisa, you can report it as a missing persons case. The family went inside to have a meal of Jumbalaya & biscuits. The following day Elisa set out to the police station, deciding not to inform her sister in law until she was sure of what she had seen. The Station consisted of only a handful of officers, two were females. She picked one of the female officers to speak to. The officer ushered her to a desk as she typed on a typewriter while Elisa gave the report. You say you recognized his Wedding ring? Yes, my father was a welder & a jeweler, here’s a photo of the ring itself. She handed the photo to the officer who took the picture with her navy blue polished nails. Each nail had a small round nail diamond as well. I see Madam, we need to keep this picture as evidence! We have no way to copy it! Of course, if it brings back brother Abe.. She went on doing her best to describe the field where he was among field workers. You can’t have him back so easily.. Why not? If he is out in that field, he has been made into a zombie & will not recognize anyone from his former life! What are you telling me? I don’t know what a zombie is? It’s the work of the Boker! We know about his doings but are unable to stop him.. What is a Boker? The officer went over to a soda machine getting herself a soda, asking sister Elisa is she wanted one. She nodded her head in agreement. The tall lady officer handed her a orange soda telling her it’s all they had since they were out of coke. Both ladies drank from orange glass bottles as the story unwinded more. He lives up on the hill as we know from other similar reports of missing people. He gives them a potion to put one into a trance where they forget who they are, enslaving them to his will’ The officer’s eyes gloomily told as it was a strange tale to tell. But isn’t it illegal? Yes of course but when we try to even question him, bad things happen to us, one officer after another unexpectedly died the next morning! She leaned back in her naugahyde chair with overlooking taxidermied animals mounted on the wall along with framed mug shots. That’s really bad! How do we get our brother back? Elisa sat back feeling overwhelmed as she had lived all her life on the city island without hearing such things. There is one thing we can consider doing. And what is that? You can attempt to dart him in the field while they work through the night. That might work. Elias eyes filled with hope. Once he is put under, take him here to test his blood. The blood test will tell through his dna if he indeed is your brother. Elisa sat still as a statue absorbing the information. There’s no guarantee he will return to his true self, it may take time for his drugs to wear off. But it’s worth the try’ The tall officer stood up in her polyester uniform & tall black boots opening a locker that contained rifles & paraphernalia. Handing her a dart gun & a box of darts to her client apologizing that it was too risky for the police force to do the job. Where will I get the sleeping powder for the darts? These are empty. The Boker has a shop full of powders & botanicals he uses on his zombies, he’s popular with the people in his area of town. The officer with the blue nails wrote carefully down on paper the address of the shop. You are directing me to the den of the wolf who took my brother in law? Why not? Ok, How will I see him in the darkness? The night torches will give you enough light, as the night sky will conceal your movement through the grass. I hope this goes down as planned. Elisa got up from her chair, she had sweated heavily. Outside the sun was setting over the Ocean as she drove back with the darts & gun placed by her side. Telling her husband, Primus wasn’t easy as he insisted to go with her to help carry out the mission. Showing him the address of the Magic shop, it was called, they set out the following Saturday when Primus was off of work. The drive to the side of town that they hadn’t ventured to before taking them awhile as they listened to accordion music in its French Creole style on the radio. The two had met & married in Port au Prince when Elisas father had hired Primus as a skilled welder where she instantly liked his well manners. Getting out of the car once in front of the shop, they both felt a cold wind stir through the trees while wind chimes of glass tinkled from the gust. The door with a sign that read, “ Magic Shop “ had a wooden moon upon the door. Opening the door Elisa explored while Primus waited in the car. Fumes of incense filtered around racks of bottles & candles while a fish pond was placed in the center of the room. Sounds of frogs croaking amused Elisa while the overhead oil paintings made it seem like an art gallery. While studying one particular painting of a mid evil plague doctor Elisa heard a voice from across the room. May I help you Miss? A accented voice called from behind a counter, speaking in a French dialect. Turning around, she could see a petit shop keeper who resembled a chameleon with rotating eyes. I should need some sleeping potion for my show dog for a airplane trip to New Orleans’ We have many varieties of anesthesia, some derived from fish, some from frogs.. What one do you recommend? Let me consult my master, he knows the best.. The small man disappeared behind a curtain of beads. Waiting for a few moments Elisa observed colorful bottles with labels such as Devil be gone oil & money blessing spray. The bead curtain parted again, this time revealing a very tall man with a long beard. I am Berabitus, the shop owner, I am told you need a sleeping potion for an animal’ Yes I will be traveling by plane where it is recommended for my pet. He stepped out from behind the counter wearing clothes of assorted colors looking more like a genie than a Somnambulist. I recommend this powder, he found a bottle of green chalk like powder he said was from a native Puffer fish. The shop owner said as he pointed to his pond swimming of the assorted species. Grasping the bottle she couldn’t help but look around more. Tiny concrete figurines with puca shells faces were displayed under glass. What are those for? They are protection totems used for inmates. When one is confined within concrete, the spirit of Ogun & Shango are prayed to. I do not recognize the Orishas as they usually are draped in gold, purple & green fabric’ The Olodumare are fashioned different according to desired Obatala. These were created after Malcolm X had the spirit visitation of Shango during his prison time. They spoke to him advising him to bring Islam to America. Elisa drifted her attention to displayed beaded crowns that she knew as ceremonial crowns of a variety of crystalline colors. She desired to try one on, although she knew Primus was waiting. Paying for just the bottle, she thanked Berabitus as he bagged the merchandise. While on the ride home she told how the shop owner did not seem like a man to transform men into zombies. Stop right here Primus’ there’s a picnic table where I can load the powder. I don’t want the children at home to see this. As the car stopped, Elisa stepped out with the police weapon & darts. Primus ran after her with the bagged powder. You forgot the most crucial ingredient! He set the bag down next to the gun while she took the bottle of powder, pouring it into the empty cases. Primus watched, saying, And that came from a fish ! I guess it did, I hope your a good shot! I’m a good shot? I think you aught to do the justice..Your eyes are better than mine. Primus adjusted his spectacles. Alright, once he’s darted I’ll need help getting him into the car. They drove in silence back to the field where the workers were along with brother Abe. The sun set with the moon appearing over the field being lit with torches. Creeping through the long grass to position, she could see the eyes of brother Abe lit up like a creature of both light & dark. Firing the dart, he fell in an area a safe distance from the others. Primus ran from the jalopy with Elisa running toward the fallen body. They carried him to the car, placing him in the back seat. Pealing away in an accelerated cloud of dust, they took him to the police station where Officer blue nails was waiting. Dragging him through the doors, they laid him down on a couch where a tunicate was placed to draw the needed blood. Fingerprints were also taken to compare once the blood analysis was completed at the hospital. It only took a hour until the results were sent through the computer located in the lab. It was only used for analysis because computers were rare in the Country. The results of the Dna along with the fingerprints were identical to that of brother Abe, born & raised in the City. Looking down at his brother who’s face had drained of the relative he had known all his life, Primus felt confused. It will take time for him to regain his spirit, let him sleep for now. Outside the station their became the glowing of fire, as the night torches carried by zombies stormed through the windows, breaking the glass with angry moans. One torch burned on a desk full of paper work. More torches were thrown as it was apparent to escape the arson. What will we do with our brother? We can’t leave him here! Quickly they carried him through the door that smoldered with ash & smoke. Outside they laid him down in front of the angry mob. Then appearing out of the darkened mist of smoke & fire the tall figure of Berabitus stood looking down at Brother Abe. It was wrong what you did! Elisa scolded with her eyes. Let me explain, I only turn a few selected workers into such creatures, in order to keep the blue bloods from abducting us! Blue bloods? Who are they? The ghosts from astral world who died horrible deaths, such as the electric chair, firing squad & hangings! While explaining about this ghastly mummification of the living, Berabitus suddenly became engulfed in a bright ascending light. It hovered above, searching the ground. Berabitus looked up exclaiming that the Blue Bloods had come! Shadows of Blue beings swam through the night sky. The craft overhead reached out a beacon of a light ray, absorbing a zombie into oblivian. Officer blue nails tried running away from the scene, only to be zapped by the light, transforming her into a blue shadow. The fury of an Omen fed on a number of zombies until it went away. They didn’t get Brother Abe or his family. Slowly they fell into their car to drive away, & to forget leaving Berabitus sitting in the midst of burning blue flames. The next day they had their brother back, his face had regained to his old self. He sat eating a breakfast of food he hadn’t tasted in he didn’t know how long. His wife showed up looking as if she had seen the ghost of Lazarus! Honey, theirs something I gots to show you! Her eyes bubbled in tears from her delight of finding her lost spouse. What is it? Well it’s not far from here, we’ll need to borrow your auto. Why don’t we all go! I like a good surprise’ Primus drove to the destination of where his sister in law told, yet it didn’t seem that good being a graveyard. Stop the car right here, she said getting out. Both in-laws followed. She stopped in front of one particular grave. The headstone was engraved with Abe’s name & birth date. Why Hazel! I’m not in the grave yet! Don’t you see, you’ve been gone so long I thought you were dead! You almost were there, if we hadn’t found you in the fields! Elisa said as the four began to cry tears of gratitude that the grave stone was just an empty plot. The sea surrounding the island cracked a bolt of lightning that made everyone jump. They all ran back to the car discussing what would happen if the blue people come back? The rain drenched their clothes while Primus cranked the hood cover. Thunder sounded as Primus said he had an idea..I should think a being of electrical light would be afraid of other forms of light..Did you know Grandpa had a ultraviolet light he said that could detect ghosts? If we can light the house with uv light, we might have a chance. I hope they just stay away..Elisa said as she told how she used a dart to bring brother Abe back to his scenes. That’s a small miracle we have with our brother back..I’ll say I’m just feeling awful glad I always wear my Wedding band. Brother Abe’s hand glimmered with the distinctive diamonds & abalone while the car radio began to play the Sade song again..My love is wider than Victoria Lake, Taller than the Empire State, It dives, jumps from the Deepest Ocean..Is it a Crime?